


hold me close tonight

by pixieboots



Category: Girl Meets World
Genre: F/M, Light Angst, Tumblr Prompt, a concept: lucas friar PINING
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-16
Updated: 2016-10-16
Packaged: 2018-08-22 19:27:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8297518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pixieboots/pseuds/pixieboots
Summary: It takes a few moments, but eventually Maya wipes at her cheeks and peers up from beneath her curtain of hair. Her skin is blotchy, and stray blonde strands stick stubbornly to her face. Around her eyes are smudges of dark makeup, making her slightly resemble a sickly raccoon.Despite all this, his heart still skips a beat at the sight of her.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I originally wrote this for a prompt on Tumblr a little more than a year ago, but never posted it on here for whatever reason? Thought I might as well now, since this Lucaya Drought is absolutely killing me and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
> 
> I actually wrote this before GM Texas had aired, so I had to edit this slightly to fit in a little bit more with recent canon events. Hope everything still makes sense!

The night after Maya turns 18, Lucas finds himself in some college nightclub, her hands around his wrists and some bad remix of an already bad pop song playing far too loudly in his ears.

Lucas must be making a face, because Maya laughs before leaning in closer to be heard over the music. She has to stand on her tip-toes to do so, and it’s more endearing than he’s willing to admit.

“What, disappointed there’s no country music playing?” she teases, and Lucas snorts.

“Yeah,” he responds, “I freshened up on my square-dancing moves for nothing.”

Maya laughs at that, the kind that makes her head throw back and her eyes shut. Even with the music drowning out the sound itself, he can imagine it perfectly in his head. When she straightens back up, her eyes light up deviously.

“Oh, no,” Lucas says, already knowing what she’s planning.

Maya’s grin widens, and she lets go of his arms, holding up a finger as if to say “one second”. Lucas shakes his head at her, but there’s no real anger behind it, and both of them know it.

She disappears into the crowd after that, and Lucas stares at the last spot he saw her for a few minutes before realizing how much of an idiot he must look like. He starts moving his way out of the mob of people and towards the booths.

That’s when he spots him.

The universe either has a sick sense of humor or just really, really hates him, because not five feet away, decked in a red beanie and skinny jeans, is Joshua Matthews. Only it’s not just Josh—it’s Josh and some dark-haired girl, dancing so close together that it’s hard to tell where he ends and she begins.

 _Fucking asshole_  is the first thought to go through his head, followed very closely by _Maya_ can’t _find out_. To be honest, Lucas has no idea if the blonde even still likes Josh—crushes are usually a topic reserved for only her and Riley—but he’s sure as hell not going to take the chance.

Of course, that’s right when he feels a light tap on his shoulder, and turns around to see Maya, smiling without a care in the world.

“You’ll _never_ guess what song I just requested—” she starts, but something in Lucas’ face must tip her off because her grin immediately drops. “What is it?”

Lucas blinks. “I—Nothing, nothing! Everything’s fine, let’s just, uh… go dance over here.” He grabs her shoulders to steer her as far away from the train-wreck waiting to happen, but she doesn’t budge an inch.

“You’re hiding something,” she states, and tries to look behind him. Lucas immediately tries to obscure her view, which only makes her eyes narrow.

“Listen, Cowboy,” she starts breezily, “whatever it is, I’m a big tough adult now, so I’m sure I can handle it—” Her sentence cuts off as she lunges to the right of Lucas, just managing to work her way behind him. He spins around, tries to cover her eyes or _something_ , but it’s too late. The damage is done.

Maya stares at Josh and the other girl with an unreadable look. “Oh,” she says, uncharacteristically soft.

Lucas winces. “God, I’m so sorry, Maya; I didn’t even know he was here, we can totally go if you—”

“No,” she says, her voice still disturbingly distant. “It’s not your fault. If anything,” she laughs awkwardly, bitterly, “it’s _mine_. I mean, why would I actually expect him to put his love life on hold until I was of age? That’s—that’s just  _idiotic_.” Her voice cracks at the end, and Lucas feels his heart break for her. “I’m just gonna, um, go find the bathroom. I’ll… I’ll be right back.”

She wanders off in the direction completely opposite of the glowing “Restrooms” sign.

Lucas starts to follow after her when he feels a hand reach and grab his arm. Knowing exactly who it is, his fists clench, and he turns around to face Josh as slowly as possibly.

The guy grins easily, innocently. Hooking arms with him is the girl he was dancing with, a polite smile on her lips as well. “Hey, Lucas,” Josh says amiably. “Didn’t expect to see you here! You come with anyone special?”

Lucas feels like laughing at that. He also feels like punching the older guy in the face for hurting Maya, even if unintentionally, but he’s got more pressing matters to attend to. “Actually, I was just leaving,” he says tersely, and brushes the couple to the side. It’s probably the rudest thing he’s done in a long time and his mama would absolutely _murder_ him, but Maya takes priority. Over _everything_.

Following the general direction the blonde took, he eventually finds himself at a side-exit, and pushes the door open out into the city.

It’s a cold January night, and Lucas shivers as he steps out. No matter how many years pass, he’ll never get used to the chill of New York winters. “Maya? Are you out here?” he calls out faintly, praying that he gets a response.

Instead of words, he hears faint sniffling. The sound is more than enough to make his breath catch.

To his right, sitting against the club’s brick wall, is Maya Hart, knees tucked against her stomach and blonde waves hiding her face. The sniffles sound more like quiet sobs now, and Lucas drops to his knees besides her, reaching out a hand—to do what, he’s not entirely sure. “ _Maya_ ,” he whispers, quiet and gentle.

“Don’t fucking touch me,” she responds, but there’s no venom to it, and her warning rings hollow in Lucas’ ears.

“Maya,” he repeats, putting all the care and worry he can into her name. “ _Please_. Just look at me.”

It takes a few moments, but eventually the girl wipes at her cheeks and peers up from beneath her curtain of hair. Her skin is blotchy, and stray blonde strands stick stubbornly to her face. Around her eyes are smudges of dark makeup, making her slightly resemble a sickly raccoon.

Despite all this, his heart still skips a beat at the sight of her.

“H-hey,” he stammers.

“Hi,” Maya says, voice still oddly cool. Her lack of emotion is more worrying to him than if she were screaming—strong emotions, even if they were negative, were something he always associated with her, and her silent tears now make his brow furrow.

If he’s being completely honest, he has no idea where to go from here. He wouldn’t call himself a _bad_ comforter, per say, but this is _Maya_. He doesn’t want to risk saying the wrong thing and ruining everything. But, then again, maybe words aren’t what she needs right now.

Slowly, as if approaching a frightened foal, Lucas moves closer to her, until the sides of their bodies are completely pressed together. Maya, unsurprisingly, takes the initiative after that, adjusting her head so it lies against his shoulder. Tucking his arm around her, he’s suddenly reminded of just how _small_ the girl is, at least physically. He spends the next few minutes just holding her as her sniffles die down.

“He’s a fucking idiot,” Lucas finally states with wholehearted conviction.

Maya seems to laugh at that, but it’s the same bitter, hollow one as before. “No, he’s not. He just… found someone else. I can’t blame him for choosing to do that instead of keep some stupid pact he made years ago with some high school girl.” She moves on before he can interrupt, words flowing out of her like a dam bursting. “I should’ve expected this, really. I think, maybe, deep down, a part of me _did_. I mean, nothing I ever hope for works out for me. So why should this have been any different?”

Lucas’ fists clench again, wishing her self-hatred was something he could punch out. “Don’t talk like that.”

“And why not? It’s _true_. I’m—I’m _broken_ , remember? I break everything I touch.”

“No you _don’t_ , Maya. You still have me, and Riley, and Farkle, and Zay. And even though your parents are busy with their jobs and all, I know they'd both punch Joshua Matthews right in his smug little face if it would make you happy.” He feels Maya snort quietly at that, and a fond smile breaks out on his face. “And besides them, you’ve got the Matthews. They’ve been your family for as long as I’ve known you, and that’s never gonna change.” He squeezes her shoulder as tightly as he can. “None of us are ever gonna leave you, okay? And you’d better get used to it.”

Suddenly, Maya starts shuddering against his chest, and Lucas becomes terrified that he’s somehow made things worse. But then she shifts against him so they can see each other, and he realizes that, yes, while she is crying, she’s  _smiling_ , too. “Thank you, Lucas.”

He feels himself blush slightly, and has to look away. “Of course.” Then, sucking in all the courage he has, Lucas shifts, and looks at Maya intently as he speaks. “And honestly, I don’t care who the hell Josh thinks he is—any guy would be an _idiot_ to give you up, no matter how long he had to wait.”

Her smile grows impossibly big, and Lucas swears he’s never seen anything more beautiful than her right now, blotchy cheeks and all. “Why, Mr. Friar,” she drawls, “you certainly know how to flatter a gal.”

He grins back at her, eyes warm with affection. “What can I say, it’s my Texan charm.”

Maya laughs brightly at that, the sound vibrating against his chest, and he thinks that for now, right now, everything will be just fine.


End file.
